Japanese Swords

Japanese Sword History

A Japanese sword, also called nihonto is the traditional and historical bladed weapon of feudal Japan. Japanese swords are categorized according to their size, features and methods of manufacturing. The most famous Japanese sword is the katana sword which is a single-edge and curved long sword. Wakizashi is similar to the katana sword but much shorter. Both weapons were used by the Samurai warriors. Another sword from the nihonto family is the Tsurugi which is a double-edged long sword. Nodachi and Odachi are similar to the katana as they are single-edged weapons but much longer.
There are also bladed weapons that were pole-mounted, namely the Naginata and Yari. They also belong to the nihonto family of weapons. There are only a few hundred swordsmiths that still manufacture authentic Japanese swords. These kind of swords are very expensive and cost thousands of dollars.